A Short Rest in Hollin
by Pansy Chubb
Summary: Hobbits and men get to know each other a bit better


Thank you to Baylor for correcting my grammer and Llinos for correcting my English - so the Hobbits don't sound like California surfers (just a joke).  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: JJR Tolkien owns these various species.  
  
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A Short Rest in Hollin  
  
  
  
As the Fellowship sat and rested after their most recent march in Hollin, the first leg of their journey, Pippin picked idly at the pebbles around him. He recalled games he used to play as a child, such as "the hidden rock." Palming a pebble, he scooted in front of Frodo, who sat closest to him. With a mischievous smile on his lips, he showed Frodo the pebble, and then quickly hid both his hands behind his back expectantly. Frodo smiled back and took the bait. He chose Pippin's left hand and was rewarded with the pebble, which he then hid behind his back. Pippin giggled and chose. It was a simple game but a lively one, back and forth with much pushing and laughter. The other two hobbits looked on with interest, and soon the whole group watched the game from their sprawling locations. Legolas and Gimli smiled along with the others.  
  
Pippin and Frodo's game became more physical and creative, Pippin not wanting to relinquish the pebble. Soon Frodo was accusing him of cheating. Pippin just laughed and called Frodo a poor loser.  
  
"Oh I am, am I?" Frodo cried and pushed Pippin backwards. He landed on top of Pippin with a handful of leaves, which he stuffed down Pippin's shirt.  
  
"Oh Frodo!" yelled Pippin, struggling uselessly as the larger Hobbit pinned him. Frodo then began to tickle him in the ribs. "No, Frodo no! All right, all right, I promise not to cheat anymore." Pippin gasped, laughing. Frodo still held him down for another minute, teasing him while Pippin kicked helplessly. Aragorn and the others laughed.  
  
Frodo then released Pippin and sat back awaiting retaliation. Pippin, however, had decided to take a different tact, that of the injured party. He sat up and whined at the Hobbits. "All of you are always picking on me." He hung his head. Groans came from Sam and Merry. "Just because you're bigger and older".  
  
Frodo scooted closer to Pippin who turned his back. "Pippin, now Pippin." Frodo laughed, poking his back. Pippin ignored him. Frodo scooted closer and, still laughing, nuzzled him saying "Poor Pippin."  
  
Pippin sat still, not trusting Frodo's motives. Frodo began to stroke Pippin's hair. "Come here Pippin. You know I was just playing, I wasn't really going to make you eat grass. Let me comfort you." At this, Pippin relaxed back into Frodo's arms.  
  
"Oh no, don't baby him" Merry called. "He gets enough babying."  
  
"Ignore him" Pippin commanded as he curled his knees and leaned deeper into Frodo's arms with a happy little smile. He sighed contentedly as Frodo ran his fingers up through his hair and gave him a little kiss on the cheek. "He's just jealous because he hasn't been comforted lately."  
  
Merry scowled, thinking to himself that there was some truth in that. But he loved Pippin dearly and did not begrudge him Frodo's affection; he merely enjoyed teasing Pippin.  
  
The rest of their party looked on in amusement at the sweetness displayed between the Hobbits, except Boromir, who had a quizzical look on his face.  
  
"Is this normal behavior for your kind, two males cuddling and kissing?" he asked of them. The Hobbits paused and all four gazed at him, their faces confused.  
  
"Well yes, we're unmarried." Pippin replied as if stating the obvious. "Who else would comfort us?"  
  
"Ah, well, do you not have lady friends in the Shire?" Boromir asked.  
  
The Hobbits looked scandalized. "But you can't go hugging and kissing them if you're not married!" Sam cried.  
  
"Who comforts you?" Marry asked, looking interested.  
  
"Uh, well." Boromir began, "Men do not need comforting. However, I do have a few lady friends." He stopped when he saw the Hobbits' mouths drop. He frowned. "Have none of you ever kissed a female halfling?"  
  
The Hobbits looked abashed. "Pippin's too young" Frodo said, trying to deflect interest from himself.  
  
"I've kissed lasses" Merry declared, breaking an awkward silence. The other three Hobbits spun on him.  
  
"You have? Who?" came the questions.  
  
Merry held up his palms. "Can't tell," he said, but he looked pleased to be disclosing this information.  
  
Boromir shrugged at Aragorn as if to say he didn't realize what he was starting. Pippin, still lying against Frodo's chest saw the shrug, Pippin asked him. "Men do not touch each other in this manner?" and stroked Frodo's hair and kissed him on the neck, all the while his eyes on Boromir to gauge his response. Everyone had again returned to the conversation.  
  
"No, we do not" Boromir replied, a bit taken aback and not certain if he was being teased. Gandalf smoked his pipe as he listened to the conversation, his eyes shifting between Boromir and Pippin.  
  
"These are Shire Hobbits," Aragorn explained to Boromir. "They know nothing of Men's ways, other than what they have learned from you and I."  
  
"Would you not stroll hand-in-hand with Aragorn, as you are friends?" Pippin persisted. Aragorn and Boromir looked sharply at one another.  
  
"No, Men do not do that," came Boromir's reply.  
  
Frodo and Pippin caught the discomfiture in not only Boromir's tone but also the two Men's glance. They began to feel self-conscious and released one another, scooting apart.  
  
Breaking an awkward pause, Gandalf announced "We have rested long enough. It is time to move on." With that, the party collected its packs to once again begin its journey. Pippin approached Boromir and smiled at him. For a second Boromir thought he saw pity on that sunny little face.  
  
"Boromir, I shall teach you the pleasures of strolling hand-in-hand with a friend." With that, he grasped Boromir's large hand in his own. "Of course, this isn't a stroll and this certainly isn't the Shire, but we shall pretend."  
  
Boromir, who had tensed up at the touch, relaxed and smiled. They started off together, Pippin chattering away about where in all the Shire were the most pleasant places to stroll and what would be seen; Boromir leaning slightly towards him to catch his words.  
  
Gandalf and Aragorn walked together several feet behind the hand-in-hand pair. Gandalf sighed after some time. "I fear the Hobbits have just learned one more lesson on the ways of Middle-earth outside the Shire and have lost another bit of innocence."  
  
Aragorn pondered this. "Yes, that is true, but look," he said pointing towards the pair happily chatting away, "I believe Hobbits will be giving lessons of their own." 


End file.
